Allen Edmonds might be the middle ground. If I was starting from scratch I'd look hard at the Cavanaugh. They don't seem to have a beefroll at the moment though.

They also have a seconds section on the website, which gets into the realm of the inexpensive.

In the recent purge I jettisoned almost all the current cheapo Bass loafers. I have more than enough better ones to last the rest of my days.

I know one guy who treats current Weejuns like boat shoes. He buys them and beats the crap out of them. When they're done they're done. He saves his Aldens for when he's trying.

I like that contrast of 'humble' with 'well-made', so evocative of the essential balance within the overall look.

Larsen Penny loafers. Size 8 £28! On the HIP site. Bargain

I would buy them if they were my size. They look good in the photos. The Astorflex also appeal to me but I can't justify another purchase

Spendthrift- Can't go wrong for £28. Let us know what they are like. I was hoping someone on here would buy them.

Last edited by RobbieB (2022-03-24 15:35:20)

Haha - I like Rancourts loafers too.

I'd ban his offspring too.

At the risk of being unfriended by Yuca, having looked at the Rancourt website I share 2RS’s dislike of the light coloured soles on most of their penny loafers and the, to my eyes, slightly cartoon’ish prominent stitching. But if you zoom in it is apparent that the straps are stitched down. In fact I would venture that a lot of loafers on that site aren’t really penny loafers and are actually strap loafers, as they lack the beefroll detail found on Weejuns and Sebagos to name but two.

My Rancourts aren’t lined and they are a quantum step up in quality from the other makes that have been mentioned.

Plenty of makers do their interpretation of the classic penny loafer and whether the appearance appeals is a matter of individual taste.
I picked up a pair of barely used Sebago pennys from a charity shop last year and I wore them through the summer as they are super comfortable and suited the look I was wearing, however they were really cheap and I wouldn’t have bought them new. I’m not under any illusions about their longevity either and when that time comes I don’t suppose I’ll have any appetite to invest in repairing them. But I expect my Rancourts and Aldens to outlive me.

I'm with The Uncle on the worthiness of current Sebago. I bought a pair of their new non-USA beefroll and they are really pretty good - very solidly made, good leather. Maybe not quite up there with the old USA ones, but not far off and they certainly piss all over those fugly Rancourt things. Bass, or whoever bought the name and are now proceeding to crap all over the once proud Wilton, Maine legacy, should really be ashamed of what they're up to. I think of them as the P&O Ferries of shoe manufacturing - cynical, soulless and greedy. All spin and marketing to con punters into shelling out for a very shoddy product.

I agree in general with 2RS re Bass. However I did buy a Bass pair of chukka boots about 5 years ago and the leather was good. Never worn them though!
The Larson shoes on the HIP site looked good in the photos not like the plastic shoes Bass now do.Not there anymore so Spendthrift may have got them. The HIP site does have a habit of 'click bait' when you think you have a purchase in the basket and then suddenly it becomes unavailable.

Actually most Rancourt loafers don't do it for me either. I don't like beefrolls for a start. But the 2 or 3 Rancourt pennies that I do like, I really like.

Nowadays, I can't help but thinking of loafers as 'yard shoes', Weejuns (specifically) as 'basically slippers', to quote (or possibly misquote) The Guv'Nor.  The Dexter were a good £50 Ebay buy last autumn.  They haven't yet left the side of the bed.  The Sebago - bought shortly afterwards - have had a couple of brief, easy excursions.  They really are 'yard shoes'. 
I like the sound of Alden well enough but would never buy their loafers.  I know the penny and beef-roll are the classic Ivy footwear but, as with desert boots, I'm no longer enthusiastic, preferring just to kick around in Astorflex or Pro-Keds instead.